Ice and Iron
by The Dragon of Winter
Summary: Belle Stark was Robb's twin sister. Her mere existence is sufficient to change the course of many things, but will it be enough to avoid her twin brother's imminent death, or will her fate be the same as his?
1. Another Stark

**Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. I only own my OC, Belle Stark, who is portrayed by Adelaide Kane.**

* * *

From the window of her chambers, Belle could observe Jon Snow and Robb Stark fighting each other with their swords in the courtyard. Robb, her twin brother, was winning Jon Snow in their battling. Robb was known to be one of the youngest and greatest swordsmen in Winterfell. His skills were remarkable, and it made Belle want to learn how to fight with a sword as well. Robb and Belle did almost everything together, except for that. She wasn't allowed to do anything considered dangerous because she was a honorable lady and honorable ladies aren't supposed to play with swords or arrows, according to her mother Catelyn. Belle admired her younger sister, Arya, because she always went against those specific rules. Unfortunately for her, Belle was the oldest daughter and she had to set the example, therefore she was not allowed to shoot arrows or wield swords along with the boys. Finally, the brown-haired beauty cracked a wide smile. Robb had thrown Jon Snow onto the ground. Belle opened the window and peered down at them, cheering loudly.

"Join us, Belle!" Jon Snow yelled at her, causing Robb to chuckle in amusement.

"Oh, Jon, I wish I could!"

Wanting to fight and knowing how to fight were two distinct things, Robb had realized. Belle only wanted to fight, but she had no idea how. Theon Greyjoy approached his two friends and glanced up at the damsel trapped in her bedroom, scoffing mockingly at her. Belle growled at the sight of the iron born boy and rolled her eyes almost to the back of her head. "Why are you holed up in there, Belle?" Robb questioned her, arching an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Septa Mordane, that's why." Belle mumbled at them.

"You should go to her, Belle. Watching the men fighting isn't something girls of your age should be doing." Theon declared, obviously trying to make a fool out of her.

Theon and Belle had never been the greatest of friends. The Greyjoy ward was the best friend of her twin and her half-brother, but it was a completely different story when it came to her. Belle didn't know why or what it was, but Theon was the only person who knew how to push her buttons to the limits. When they were anywhere near each other, they were absolutely unbearable. Robb and Jon could hardly stand those two when they were together. Insults flying here and there, and the next thing they knew, they were almost at each other's throats. Theon couldn't even understand why Belle hated him so much. Surely, he wasn't the nicest person in the whole world, especially to her, and most of the time, he was rude and obnoxious towards Belle.

"Or maybe I should go down there right now and teach you a lesson, Greyjoy." Belle snapped right back at him.

"I would like to see you try, Belle. Come down, come down!"

The door of her chambers opened suddenly, taking her by surprise. "Maybe later!" Belle shouted, proceeding to close the window. She whirled around and tried her best to muster up a repentant look. It was _Septa Mordane_! "I was just getting ready to come down and meet you, I swear!"

"I doubt that very much, Belle." Septa Mordane replied in a cold tone. Belle sighed exasperatedly and already knew what expected her. The worst kind of torture: sewing. "Come on, now. Your sisters are waiting."

Belle growled and grasped the sewing kit to take it with her. She wasn't a very patient girl, and sewing required patience and focus, plenty of it. She couldn't do it, oh she couldn't. One day, she would have to marry some rich lord that her father chose for her, and she couldn't help but feel sorry for the poor lad, because he would have to be very patient with her. His hands would be full with Belle, because doomed would be the man who could truly handle her.

* * *

Belle's fifteenth name day had come, and so had Robb's. That night, a banquet was going to be held in honor of the two siblings, and Lady Catelyn was helping Belle preparing for the feast. Belle was going to wear a dark green velvet dress that hugged her growing curves almost perfectly. For her age, Belle's body was already enviable, let alone when she grew older. Belle was a pretty little thing, perhaps even more than Sansa and Arya together. She had inherited that sort of beauty from her Aunt Lyanna Stark, since she did look a lot like her. Lady Catelyn pulled Belle's long brown hair into a braid that reached the middle of her back. It was unusual for her to wear a hairstyle like that, but it was her name day; unusual was what she desired to be, not just another good-looking lady of the North.

"Well, what do you think, Belle?" Lady Catelyn inquired her, watching her satisfied smile through the mirror. Her daughter truly was a beauty, it hardly mattered what she was wearing because even the cheapest rag would compliment her figure.

"I like it, Mother." Belle turned around and threw her arms around Lady Catelyn's neck, bringing her closer for a warm hug.

"Fifteen years flew by so fast." Lady Catelyn murmured, inhaling the perfume of her daughter's luxurious hair. "You and Robb are all grown up now. He is a handsome lord, and you... look at you, a beautiful lady of the North. A few more years and I'll have to let you leave the nest to be wed. I can't even think about that yet, my sweet child. My first daughter..."

Belle's red lips twitched up, threatening a sad smile. For a moment there, Belle thought she was going to cry. Winterfell was her home, as it would always be. She couldn't picture herself living somewhere else. She belonged in the North with her loving family. "You mustn't worry, Mother. You know that, wherever I will be, I will know how to take care of myself. Also, father will make a good match for me, won't he?"

"He will, Belle, he will." Catelyn muttered, caressing her first daughter's hair rather gently. "Now, we must hurry. The feast is about to start, and you must be there. Go, I will find your brother Robb and see if he is ready."

Belle nodded and smiled dutifully, her brown eyes following her mother's figure as she exited her chambers to go look for Robb. She sighed and jumped up from her bed, stealing a glance towards the mirror one more time. The image that it reflected seemed to please her well enough, since Belle walked out of her bedroom with a large smile plastered on her lips. Her steps were taken with confidence and grace, until she reached the feast. The music that was playing was loud, very loud, and there were plenty of people. It wasn't long before she found Jon and Theon sitting together at one of the tables. The two seemed quite enveloped in some sort of conversation, but they immediately stopped when they saw Belle approaching them. There was a strange glint in Theon's eyes, as it almost seemed that he smiled at her. He took his own time to analyze her slender figure, and it seemed to please him very much, because he wasn't able to look away from the Stark girl. Belle rolled her eyes at him and said nothing, taking a seat next to Jon.

"You look very nice." Jon Snow complimented her, causing her to laugh in return.

"Thank you, Jon, so do you." Belle smiled, not even bothering to look over at Theon, who kept his burning gaze on her. "How's the feast?"

"Enjoyable. The music is loud and there are some pretty girls scattered across the room." Theon replied instead, smirking at the annoyed expression on her face.

"Of course you would say something like that. You can only think with your second head." Belle shot back with an arrogant tone.

Theon's smirk became even more daring and cocky. "Want to know what it's thinking right now?"

"Theon." Jon warned him, obviously disliking the way he spoke to his half-sister. Surely, they were the best of friends, but he wouldn't allow the Greyjoy boy to disrespect Belle. "Don't speak to her like that."

"It's alright, Jon. I've grown used to it." Belle uttered, patting his back with evident fondness.

"Where's Robb?" Jon decided to ask just to change the subject. After all, it was Robb's and Belle's name day, and they shouldn't ruin it because of her usual fights with Theon Greyjoy. Most of the time, it was him who provoked her, and Jon still hadn't figured out why he did that.

"I'm right here." The boy in question answered, causing the three of them to snap their heads in the direction where his voice had come from in surprise. Robb moved to sit next to his twin sister and smiled brightly at her. "You've really done it this time, Belle. You're looking pretty tonight."

"Don't I always?" Belle asked playfully, her fingers running through her braid.

Theon seemed fully prepared to make a snarky remark, but Robb and Jon glared warningly at him. Belle smiled provocatively at Theon and turned to the side, beginning a new conversation with her twin brother. A few moments later, they were all eating dinner and laughing together. Theon and Belle didn't exchange any more words, only a few deadly glares, but that was more than enough. Catelyn walked past their table and warned Robb and Belle about their guests, suggesting that they should go greet them. Both of them groaned in exasperation, but ended up complying to their mother's command. More festive songs began playing, which meant that the dancing was going to start. Robb and Belle looked at each other and it was as if they had read one another's thoughts. The Young Lord offered her his hand and she took it without even hesitating. Robb led his twin sister to the dance floor and began twirling her in his arms endlessly, causing the young girl to giggle loudly and happily. The folks who were watching the two siblings dancing laughed and cheered at them; some of the onlookers even clapped at the pair.

"Happy name day, brother!" Belle exclaimed merrily.

"Happy name day to you too, Belle!"

Theon and Jon remained by the table, both of them holding a glass of wine in their hands. Jon was smiling widely as he watched his two siblings dancing madly around each other, while Theon had a different look in his eyes. Perhaps it was the wine having an impact on him, or perhaps he hadn't noticed it before, but Belle was exceedingly beautiful. Her brown eyes were big and expressive, her lips were so very inviting, her brown hair was bright and always clean and perfumed, and her body no longer resembled a young girl, since she was beginning to develop curves, very dangerous curves. For a moment there, Theon felt utterly guilty for looking at Belle Stark like that. She was the sister of his two best friends, and they had practically grown up together.

But then again, he watched her swaying in her twin brother's arms and he realized he shouldn't feel guilty for admiring her beauty. Granted, he would never have the courage to touch her, but that didn't mean that he couldn't watch over her.

"You're staring." Jon Snow suddenly announced, taking Theon by surprise.

"Can't say I know what you're talking about, Snow."

"Belle."

Theon rolled his eyes and snorted, downing his drink all at once. "You're mistaken."

"Am I, Theon?"

Jon Snow was very serious about what he was talking about. Unfortunately, Theon was too influenced by the wine to take the matter seriously. He filled his glass with more alcohol and sighed, obviously becoming more relaxed. "Don't have the faintest idea of what you're talking about."

Jon shook his head in frustration, taking a sip of his own wine. "She's my sister, Theon."

" _Half-sister_."

"Doesn't matter. She's my sister nevertheless."

"Don't know what you're thinking, Snow, but I have no intentions towards her."

"Good, because she's not Ros or one of the other whores you like to bed."

Theon wanted to feel offended by Jon's comment, he truly did, but he couldn't, because deep down, those words represented the truth. Jon Snow knew him all too well, and so did Robb Stark. That was why they would never let him anywhere near their sister if they knew that he had the intention of bedding her just for fun. "If you haven't noticed it yet, Belle hates my guts, she would never go for me, nor would I _ever_ go for her."

"I wouldn't be so quick to judge and say that she hates your guts, Theon."

"What do you mean? What are you trying to say?"

"Nothing. Just start paying attention to details."

Theon looked at Jon strangely, but shrugged it off. He didn't care about it. Things were the way they were. Belle Stark hated him, plain and simple. Ever since he was little, there were a few boundaries that he would never allow himself to cross. Belle just so happened to be one of those lines that he didn't wish to cross, ever.

* * *

 **Author's Note: Okay so, I have always wanted to write a Game of Thrones Fan Fiction where the love interest was Theon Greyjoy! I don't know what it is, but I can't bring myself to hate him, even after everything he did. I actually kind of love him, so... Anyway, I hope you guys liked it! Also, I apologize for any writing mistakes that you might find! Please, don't forget to leave a review!**


	2. Name Day

After so much dancing, Belle's feet were beginning to hurt terribly. Robb left her to go talk to some of their guests, and she chose to go sit down beside Jon and Theon, who were both drinking. Theon's face was starting to turn red due to the enormous quantity of wine he had been drinking, and some small part of her worried that the night would end very badly for him. Putting those worries aside, she still wanted to slap his whole face, because he knew exactly how to press her nerves, and rare were the moments when their conversations were serious and decent. Belle couldn't help but feel unnerved and irritated by the way his eyes lingered on the bodies of the girls that walked past them. Seven hells, he wasn't even trying to hide the fact that he was watching them! Belle sighed, obviously annoyed by his behavior, and poured herself a glass of wine. Eddard and Catelyn were watching her closely, and she didn't want to drink too much, but she definitely needed some of it to relieve the stress that Theon Greyjoy constantly caused her. Belle sat back in her chair and continued glaring at him with angry eyes.

In that very moment, Theon couldn't care less about Belle Stark and her furious and continuous glances. It wasn't just him who was staring. One of the girls in the group couldn't keep her eyes off of him, and the Greyjoy boy was beginning to wonder if he should go there and talk to her. After all, the lass wasn't bad looking. Her hair was blonde, and her eyes were green, but it was her body that captured his full attention. A part of him enjoyed the fact that Belle seemed so worked up about it, but he pushed those thoughts to the back of his head and imagined the things he could do to that blonde beauty instead.

"Go on with your staring, I think she hasn't noticed it yet." Belle snapped, taking a large sip of her own wine.

Jon laughed at her disgusted face. "Your eyes will fall off your face if you continue with that, Theon. She does have a point."

"Thank you!" Belle exclaimed, letting her obvious frustration show a little too much.

"Are you jealous, Belle?" Theon asked her, a cocky smirk playing on his lips as he finished his drink and poured himself another one.

"Jealous?" The Stark girl repeated, sounding almost offended by the suggestion he had made. "I just find it annoying how you cannot spend one evening without having to bed someone, but no, I am _not_ jealous. Just mildly irked."

"Then look the other way if it bothers you that much." Theon simply replied, not even having the decency to look away from the damn girl. "Or leave."

"I was planning on it!" Belle growled, getting up from her chair to walk away from them.

Jon Snow followed Belle's walking figure with his dark eyes and shook his head. Even if she didn't want to admit it, she was a tiny bit jealous. This time, she wasn't even able to hide it from Theon, and he seemed to enjoy it quite a lot. It was not just the fact that he had annoyed her, because that was already enough to satisfy him, it was the fact that she was _jealous_ , because he was undressing another girl with his own eyes. To him, that was priceless. The beautiful Belle Stark was jealous of another girl, and Theon couldn't help but feel rather triumphant. Belle, on the other hand, was absolutely furious. She went to another table and filled her glass with more wine, downing it all at once before refilling it. She thought about what she was doing to herself and sighed, deciding that _that_ was her last cup. Belle continued pacing across the loud room, watching the others having a good time, until she found Sansa and Arya bickering and decided to intervene, sitting down between her two younger sisters.

"Sansa, Arya, that is quite enough!" Belle raised her voice, causing the two of them to become silent almost instantly. It seemed that she had inherited their mother's severe attitude. She was a woman to be feared when there was fury in her eyes.

"Look at my dress, Belle!" Sansa cried, glancing down at herself with an embarrassed look in her blue eyes. "Arya dumped her orange juice on it and now it's all dirty! She always does things like this to make me angry!"

"I said I was sorry, I didn't mean to!" Arya yelled back at her, ready to jump out of her chair to begin pulling Sansa's red hair. Fortunately for her, Belle was in the middle of it, and she was not going to allow such thing to happen.

"Enough, you two!" Belle growled, causing the both of them to shrink back in their chairs. "It's mine and Robb's name day! Can't you two stop bickering for one day? Gods, Sansa! Arya said she was sorry, she wasn't trying to make you look bad! Accidents happen all the time!" Sansa gulped and nodded quickly, noticing that Belle was too angry to be contradicted by them any more. Truth was, Arya simply loved to make her sister angry, Belle knew it, everyone else knew it. Sansa was very easy to irritate, especially because the two girls were incredibly different. Belle just couldn't handle those two bickering and fighting any more; well, at least not in that moment. "And Arya, I am taking you to bed right now! It's getting late."

"I'm not going!"

"Oh, yes, you are. Don't you even dare arguing with me. I was supposed to have a good time and now look at this!" Belle placed her hand on her forehead and sighed sadly. "I think I might go to bed as well, my head is beginning to hurt."

"Then maybe you should stop drinking so much wine." Arya suggested, a mocking smile playing on her lips.

"Oh, no. The wine helps." Belle commented, taking one last sip before putting the cup back on the table. Sansa smiled at her older sister and Arya giggled. Then, she jumped up from her chair and glared at Arya very seriously, causing the young girl to groan in despair. "Now, come on. We are not going to argue any more. You're going to bed, and Sansa, you will go too." Sansa was not like Arya in any way; when an order was given to her, she limited herself to follow it. The girl simply nodded with her head, getting up from the chair as well. Belle exhaled in relief and led her two sisters out of that incredibly loud room. It wasn't long before Sansa entered her chambers and Arya entered hers. Belle pulled the covers of Arya's bed and straightened her pillow while she changed into more comfortable clothes. Two minutes later, the girl was lying on her bed and Belle was sitting near her.

"So, will you tell me what has gotten you so upset?" Arya asked Belle, her worry for her sister becoming quite evident.

"It was nothing, Arya. Do not worry about me." Belle forced a smile and kissed her sister's forehead with obvious tenderness. "I still have to return to the feast. It would be rude of me to leave without even warning them, since it's my name day. Now, sleep. Goodnight, Arya."

"Goodnight, Belle."

Belle abandoned Arya's chambers and made her way into the feast once again. She was tired, and in serious need of rest, but she still felt the necessity to go say goodnight to her twin brother Robb and her half-brother Jon. And yet, a huge part of her - a very annoyed one, per say - felt curious and wondered if Theon had been successful with the girl he had been staring at for so long. She didn't want to think about the meaning of her reaction earlier, because if she came to a certain conclusion, everything would change for her, and she enjoyed the way things were at that moment. Unfortunately, even though she tried to be positive about everything, her positivity gradually dropped when she saw Theon and the blonde girl chatting, far too close to one another. Robb and Jon were enveloped in their own conversation and, once in a while, they would steal glances towards Theon's way and laugh madly. Belle approached Robb and Jon and simply ignored the look in Theon's eyes when he saw her walking past him without even breathing a word to him.

"Where were you, sister?" Robb inquired her, his eyes analyzing his twin sister with great care. He could tell she wasn't happy.

"Sansa and Arya were bickering again, and since it's kind of late for them, I took them both to bed." Belle explained, sitting down in the middle of her two brothers. "So, how's the feast? Met any pretty girl? According to Theon, there are plenty of them scattered across the room."

Robb laughed at her comment, but when he saw the look in her eyes, he stopped immediately. The Stark boy cleared his throat and chose to say: "No, I didn't meet any girl that I found interesting enough to chase after. What about you? Did some knight in shining armor steal your heart tonight?"

"Not one." Belle snorted, finally laughing a little.

"You're not easy to please!"

"Apparently, neither are you!"

"What about you, Jon?" Belle asked her other brother, putting an arm around his shoulders and laughing at how relaxed he appeared to be after all the wine he'd had. "Did some northern girl capture your heart?"

"Not one." Jon copied her answer, a wide smile on his lips.

"Well, what a trio that we are, huh?" Robb countered, pouring himself a glass of wine. Belle looked at his cup and cursed herself for having decided not to drink any more. Now, she was regretting that same decision. "Look at Theon, talking with that girl. He's the only one who's gotten lucky."

Belle rolled her eyes and suddenly jumped up from her seat, deciding she was going to call it a night. She couldn't bear to hear, speak, or think of Theon Greyjoy any longer, or she'd snap for good. "Well, I don't know about you two, but I'm drained. I'm going to bed now."

"It's still early." Jon pointed out.

"I'm really tired." Belle shot back, placing her hands on her hips. "And my feet hurt, thanks to our dear brother Robb."

"It's not my fault that your feet are heavy!" Robb replied, sharing a laugh with his half-brother Jon.

"Robb! You know damn well that I am a fine dancer! You spent the whole evening stomping on my feet, no wonder they're hurting so bad!"

"Aye, I do have to apologize for that." Robb smiled widely at his sister, jumping up from his seat to give her a tight hug. She laughed and patted his shoulders, gesturing for Jon to join them. Jon shook his head, taking one last sip of his drink before filling the glass again. Gods, how much could these boys drink? Belle was astounded, truthfully. She let Robb go and threw her arms around Jon, squeezing him against her.

"You two behave in my absence! In the morning, I don't want to hear the stories about how you threw up everything you had in your stomach, aye?"

"I promise I won't do that." Jon smirked, caressing her red cheeks.

"Good." Belle placed a soft kiss on his forehead and then proceeded to do the same thing to Robb. The three of them shared an unbreakable bond, everyone knew it. Robb was the same age as Belle, and no one knew who had come out first, but he still looked at her like she was his little sister. Jon also had that sense of protectiveness towards Belle. Even though he was a bastard, she had always shown him kindness and never once did she treat him differently. Theon Greyjoy was a different story. Robb and Jon got along with him pretty well, but the same thing couldn't be said about Belle. No matter how hard she tried to tolerate him, Theon did everything in his power to make her mad at him, which was simply stupid, because otherwise, they could have been good friends, despite his cockiness and huge ego. It was as if he didn't want her to grow too close to him. Belle had accepted that, she had learned that some people were merely lost causes. She just didn't want to believe that Theon was one of those people, but perhaps she was wrong. Her eyes followed him as he left the Great Hall with his blonde beauty. They were laughing and drinking together as if they knew each other for years. Belle knew exactly what would follow next, and she didn't want to think about it any more. "Anyway, goodnight, boys." She smiled and waved at her brothers, using the same path Theon and his blonde girl had taken moments before. She prayed she wouldn't find them on the way to her chambers, because that would make her even more furious than she already was. Thankfully, the walk to her bedroom had been silent and peaceful, no undesired sounds had been heard. Belle was finally in her room, she could finally sleep and forget about that horrible night.

* * *

The next morning, Belle woke up feeling like utter crap. It wasn't her head that hurt the most, and certainly it wasn't her heart, but something inside of her just didn't feel right. Belle got out of her bed to do her usual morning rituals and got prepared to start the day. Her head was clear, for now. She made her way into the Great Hall to have breakfast and there she found Robb and Jon sitting together, eating in silence. Robb was trying not to mock his half-brother, but such task wasn't easy to accomplish. When he saw Belle approaching, Robb smirked deviously.

Belle found her place next to Robb and slapped Jon's shoulders to wake him up, because it almost seemed like the boy was falling asleep in his seat. "Well, if it isn't our drinking buddy! Does your head hurt that bad?" Belle teased, laughing madly at the gloomy face of Jon Snow. He was obviously regretting the quantity of alcohol he had consumed last night. "Didn't throw up, did you?" Jon groaned loudly, rolling his eyes at his sister. "Seven hells! I'm sorry to tell you, but you do look like shit."

"Some lady you are, cursing and swearing." Jon grumbled, scratching his head. Belle grinned and shook her head in mere amusement. "Yes, it hurts a lot. I've got drums pounding in my head. Try not to speak so loud. And no, I didn't throw up, it's all still inside me."

"Ooh, it's all still inside you?" Belle repeated, her tone obviously carrying a second meaning, which caused Robb to laugh at her comment and Jon to roll his eyes at her, once more. "I'm sorry, Jon, I'll try to lower my voice."

"Thank you so much." Jon simply replied, not even bothering to reply to her dirty comment.

"What time did you leave the feast anyway?" Belle inquired, taking a sip of her orange juice. "Jon's in a terrible state. What about you, Robb?"

"It was late, almost morning." Robb informed her. Belle widened her eyes, surprised by how late her brothers returned to their chambers. Robb saw Theon entering the Great Hall and noticed that he looked even worse than Jon, but he wore a satisfied smirk on his face. Theon saw the three of them sitting together and decided to join them. Surprisingly, he took a seat right next to Belle, but said nothing to her. "Of course, I didn't drink enough to look like these two. They look like they have been beaten repeatedly."

"I was spanked, but in a very enjoyable way." Theon commented, causing the two brothers to chuckle in response.

"I'm not even going to ask how your night was, because your face's already telling the whole tale by itself." Robb countered, a sly smirk playing on his lips.

"Well, since you've asked-"

"Please, don't." Belle stopped him immediately, sending him a deadly glare. "We do not wish to hear about your adventurous night with your latest conquest."

Jon glanced up from his breakfast and braced himself for the argument that would break out soon enough. Robb's icy blue eyes remained on his twin sister, and he feared for what Theon was going to say to her. Still, he remained quiet and prepared for the oncoming fight. "You know, Belle, I think you're a little jealous that it wasn't you who shared my bed last night." Theon uttered, a dirty smile gracing his features. Belle almost laughed at that. Robb arched an eyebrow and prepared to launch himself at his friend. He would not allow Theon to speak like that to his twin sister. Belle placed her hand on Robb's chest, telling him to remain in place.

"Theon, you sleep with everything that has breasts and a hole to shove your prick inside! I think it was _you_ who would wish for something like that to happen." Belle answered, glaring daggers at Theon.

"The seven hells will freeze before that happens."

"Let's hope they don't, then!" Belle exclaimed, turning the cheek so she wouldn't look at him any more.

Robb and Jon eyed each other and nodded in agreement, sighing in relief. Fortunately, the fight didn't last long. Theon and Belle had a lot of issues that they needed to work out with one another. Unluckily, neither of them seemed willing to take that first step. Belle finished her breakfast and flied off her seat, leaving the Great Hall as quickly as possible. Theon's good mood had gone down the drain, and now he was just glancing at his breakfast, picking at it without eating anything. Gods, when were these two going to start to get along?


	3. Family, Duty, Honor

Belle Stark was simply frustrating, Theon had decided that day.

She couldn't stand his dirty jokes related to women, but every once in a while, he would hear her dirty humour being displayed right before him. Her stubbornness, her unbelievably irritating way of making him nervous whenever she was around, her hostility towards him, her confident way of walking and the way her hips swayed almost drove him mad. Theon had lost count of all the women he had already slept with, but he hadn't yet seen a girl more difficult or more beautiful than her. A part of him wanted to hate her and do everything in his power to make her hate him as well, but another part of him wanted to be as close to her as humanly possible. Unfortunately for Belle, the part of Theon that would usually win the constant contest happening inside of him was the part that wanted to hate her.

"Gods, I wish I could learn how to shoot arrows." Belle blurted out as she watched her two brothers battling with their swords. Theon had been standing a few meters away from them, just practicing with his bow, but he had heard her comment and he couldn't help but smirk widely. Robb and Jon stopped practicing with their swords and just eyed her with strange eyes. Did those words truly come out of her mouth?

Theon whirled around and walked towards her. "Wanna give it a try, eh?" Belle placed her hands on her hips and stared at him with bored eyes, trying not to show him how very interested she was in learning archery. "What will I get in return if I teach you how to use a bow?"

"My gratitude, and that's already more than enough for you." Belle snapped immediately, rolling her eyes. The dirty smile on his lips was enough to let her know what kind of payment he desired from her. "I won't pay with gold. Or anything else. If you don't want to teach me, I will find someone else who will."

Belle smiled innocently and bowed mockingly, turning away from Theon to approach her two brothers. The grin on her face only grew wider when she heard him saying through gritted teeth "I will teach you." Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks and whirled around to look at him with triumphant, brown eyes.

"Will you?"

"I will."

Belle noticed that Theon couldn't tear his eyes away from her as she walked towards him slowly. His eyes moved from her hips to her breasts, which were starting to become abundant. The Greyjoy boy found himself wondering what lied underneath those clothes. A few months back, Belle had started to notice how much of an impact she had on boys. She had always been told about how pretty she was, but only lately had she noticed how unbelievably well built her body had become. Men fought with swords, while women fought with other deadly weapons, and hers was a quite dangerous one. "Well? Will you help me or will you stand there the rest of the day, looking like an idiot?" Theon growled impatiently. Of course, she was still as infuriating as ever. It didn't matter how beautiful she was, because she was still able to drive him insane only by talking to him. Robb and Jon watched the scene with curious eyes and both wanted to laugh at the unnerved expression on Theon's pale face.

Theon handed her the bow so she could feel its weight. Her brown eyes analyzed the object with intensity, and she smiled genuinely. "How do you like it?"

"It's heavy." Belle replied simply, still analyzing every inch of the bow. "But I think I can handle it."

"We'll see about that." Theon snapped in a hostile manner. He handed her an arrow and instructed her to nock it by placing the shaft of the arrow on the arrow rest. Belle nodded and did as she was told, her whole body freezing when she felt Theon's hands landing on her hips. "You have to assume the correct shooting stance. Like this, see?" Belle gulped and complied to everything he told her to do. "Use three fingers to hold the arrow on the string." Theon made a gesture with his hand as an example and smirked pervertedly, noticing the suddenly nervous look in her eyes. While he explained some things to her, the Greyjoy boy made sure to whisper them to her ear, gluing his body to hers. Belle could feel his warmth against her, and she found herself enjoying it more than she should. "Now, raise and draw the bow." Finally, he stepped away from her to give her some space. Belle took a deep breath and pulled back the string, her brown eyes focusing on the target. "Aim. Relax your bow arm and aim." She ignored the fact that Theon still stood right behind her and eyed the target intensely. "Fire!" Belle exhaled and let the string loose, the arrow flying towards the target. Unfortunately, it wasn't even near the centre. She growled and went to steal another arrow from Theon's quiver, but he grabbed hold of her hand to stop her and squeezed it until she whimpered in pain. "No more. Tomorrow."

"Why?"

"Because I say so, that's why." Theon responded, a mocking smile gracing his lips. "At least you hit the target."

"Idiot." Belle spat, rolling her eyes.

"Lehna didn't complain." Theon pointed out with a proud grin. "None of them did, actually."

"Lehna?" Belle repeated, frowning in mere confusion. "Oh, Lehna. Of course. The girl you slept with on mine and Robb's name day." Theon nodded, the smirk on his face growing bigger and bigger as he noticed how much it still infuriated her. "I'm surprised you remembered her name. All you talk about is Ros, Ros, Ros. Didn't think you would remember her."

"I never forget the name of a girl who gave me a wild night to remember."

"You disgust me." Belle responded, shaking her head.

"I am glad I do."

"Of course you are. You might find girls to give you some wild nights, but you won't find one who would want you for life." Belle snapped, obviously enraged by the way he spoke to her. It was obvious that he didn't care about her. Belle wasn't even mad at that anymore. She just wanted to hurt him, badly.

"And no man would ever stand you and that temper of yours."

"Like you would know!"

"Theon, Belle, that's quite enough." Robb intervened, a severe tone in his voice. They almost seemed like two children, always bickering and offending one another. To other people near them, they were absolutely unbearable together. Robb had the impression that they would be only ones standing each other. "Whether you like it or not, Father is starting to look for suitors for you. Your lord won't have a choice but to put up with you."

"Or maybe they'll conceive an heir and then he'll start visiting the brothels to run away from her." Theon added with an arrogant smile on his lips.

"I will break your nose." Belle growled, starting to walk towards Theon with a threatening look in her brown eyes.

"Belle, stop." Robb called for her, and she groaned in despair.

The Stark girl took a deep breath and calmed down, whirling around to walk away from the three boys. "I honestly do not know how you stand him." Robb and Jon glanced at each other and shrugged it off, not really sure of what to say to her.

Theon placed his hands on his hips and smirked proudly. Of course he would be glad to make her run away from him once more. Even so, she looked pretty good walking away from him, her hips swaying gently and seductively without her even knowing it. Theon shook his hand and glanced down at his feet, still smiling, and when he looked up again, both Jon and Robb were eyeing him with suspicious eyes. "What? It's her fault, not mine."

* * *

"Torrhen? Torrhen of House Umber?"

"Yes, Belle." Lord Stark nodded with his head, noticing the agonized look on his oldest daughter's face. "Torrhen Umber is a great match. The Greatjon and I have already agreed to it." The girl was at a loss of words, she was completely speechless, which was something obviously new for Belle Stark, who always had something else to say. Eddard couldn't tell if she was hurt or just surprised, or perhaps even both. "Torrhen is a good lad. The boy is only two years older than you."

"He is the Greatjon's second son." Belle stated, still trying to wrap her mind around this new information.

"Aye, you must remember him. They visited Winterfell about... two years ago. It hasn't been that long since you've last seen each other."

"Of course I remember him. And Smalljon..." Belle recalled, glancing up as if she was reliving it all over again. "Jon was not so small." The Stark girl gulped, glancing down at her shaking hands. "I also recall Rosyn and Serena." Belle grimaced at that, not even wanting to remember those two girls. "Torrhen, though. I remember him. He was very good looking and he was always nice to me. We were good friends."

"He is said to be very strong, like his father and his older brother, and he does read plenty of books." Ned added, trying to cheer her up. Belle deserved better than a strong man with nothing for a brain; Torrhen Umber was the perfect match for her. Unfortunately, Belle was having a hard time coming to terms with it. "You are almost sixteen years old now. It is a good time to start thinking about the wedding."

"I am just not ready, Father." Belle murmured, starting to pace across her father's old office.

"You still have time to get used to the idea." Eddard told her with evident fondness in his voice. He didn't want his oldest daughter to leave the nest so soon, but it was time. She needed to be married soon, or at least until she turned seventeen. Catelyn wouldn't let the girl leave Winterfell sooner than that. "You will only be married when you turn seventeen."

"I do not want to leave Winterfell, ever." Belle confessed, tears appearing in her brown eyes. "This is my home."

"I know, but it is your duty." Ned said, getting up from his chair. The Lord of Winterfell approached his daughter and enveloped her in his tight embrace. "Your mother had to do the same thing when she was younger. I will not say that it will be easy for you to do it, because it will not." Belle hid her face in her father's chest and let out a small cry. "You will get used to it. And you can always pay us visits."

"It won't be the same thing."

* * *

If there was one thing Belle was sure of, it was the fact that she didn't want to marry Torrhen Umber. Like her father had said, he was a good lad, strong and intelligent, but she didn't want to leave Winterfell. She belonged with her brothers and sisters, with her mother and father, not far away from them. For some reason, Belle thought about Theon Greyjoy and wondered what his reaction would be when he found out that he would finally get rid of her for good. Belle didn't have the energy to argue with him that day, she just wanted to stay locked inside her chambers and never leave. Unfortunately, she couldn't do that. She felt like her wings had been cut; she hated the fact that she couldn't be the one to decide her own future. Belle's walk was not confident anymore and, that morning, Theon Greyjoy had noticed that when she reached his side, prepared to start training archery with him.

"Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning." Theon commented immediately.

"Don't you start." Belle warned, stealing a few arrows from his quiver.

Theon handed her the bow, but continued analyzing her with great care. "Come on, now, do not forget to assume the right shooting stance." Belle nodded and did as Theon instructed her. Then, she grabbed an arrow and placed it on the arrow rest, pulling the string back. She closed one eye and aimed, taking a deep breath before letting the arrow fly towards the target. Unfortunately, it was not even near the centre, but Belle didn't seem to care about that. She grabbed another arrow and repeated the whole process, the same result coming out, again and again. She growled in despair and grabbed one last arrow, aiming and shooting almost in the same second. This time, it didn't even hit the target, it hit the wall behind it. Belle handed Theon the bow and started walking away from him, not even responding when he called out her name. The Greyjoy boy had no idea of what had just happened. This time, it hadn't been him! He hadn't said anything unnerving or insulting, of that he was sure. So, Theon ran after her, grasping her arm to force her to look at him. Her face was red with anger, she was absolutely furious. "What have I done to you? I'm pretty sure I didn't say anything bad enough to offend you, at least not today."

"Let me go, Theon." Belle growled. "Now."

"I won't." Theon insisted, the hold he had on her arm growing tighter. "Not until you tell me what's gotten into you."

"Like you would care! I bet you would be more than happy to know that you will be getting rid of me soon enough! Well, guess what? When I turn seventeen, you can say goodbye, because I will be leaving Winterfell to marry Lord Torrhen of House Umber!"

Theon froze in place, taken aback by that new information. "Torrhen of House Umber?"

"Yes!"

Belle was set to marry another man? Not that Theon ever thought he would have a chance with her, but now he knew it for sure! "And why are you angry?" Theon asked her, attempting to mask his disappointment. Instead, he assumed a defensive position. "The Umbers are strong men. You should be proud to marry a man like that."

"Marrying him means that I will have to leave Winterfell."

"You always knew that _that_ was your duty, ever since you were a girl. Don't see why you're so worked up about this!"

Belle rolled her eyes and snorted in an obnoxious way. "And I don't even know why I bother arguing with you."

Having that said, she turned around and continued to walk away from Theon, obviously infuriated. Theon stood there for a few moments, absorbing her words. It wasn't what she said that bothered him; it was the fact that she was going to marry someone else. Theon shook his head, still stunned by that. He didn't know anything about what his own future would look like, but once, he thought that Belle could be a part of it. Now he knew that it was not possible. Soon, Belle Stark would belong to another man, and he would never set his eyes on her again. Somehow, thinking like that didn't bring him any sort of joy. Theon didn't want Belle to leave Winterfell. Theon didn't want Belle to leave _him_.


	4. Betrothal

A flying arrow hit the centre of the target, and loud cheers were heard. Robb Stark and Jon Snow laughed and clapped at their sister.

Belle tried to resist the urge to bounce up in mere joy, but she wasn't capable. Her brown eyes were mostly concentrated on the target, but she knew that Theon was smiling at her, proud of what they had accomplished together in so little time. It had been almost three months since he had started training her, and Belle was finally getting better with her skills at archery. "Well done." Theon complimented her, noticing how much it pleased her to have his approval. Those two weren't in very good terms yet, but they managed to stand each other's company for the sake of others. Belle Stark tried not to smile, but she simply couldn't. Finally, she had managed to make her teacher proud. "Now, try it again. Come on." And so she did. Belle aimed, closed one eye, and let the string loose. The arrow pierced right through the previous one, once again hitting the centre. Robb and Jon broke out with wolf whistles and such, causing her to smirk cockily.

For a moment there, Belle was extremely tempted to jump on Theon and hug him close to her, but she held herself back, because it wouldn't seem like a proper thing to do in the eyes of others. Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn had been watching the scene from afar, and they couldn't help but smile proudly. Belle had the spirit of her aunt, Lyanna. She was headstrong, courageous and even hot-tempered, and she always dared to break the rules imposed by others. That was what she was doing in that moment, thinking that both her parents were unaware of her classes with the Greyjoy ward.

Robb glanced around, still laughing, but he immediately ceased it when he saw that both his father and his mother were watching Belle. Discreetly, the future Lord of Winterfell walked closer to his twin sister so he could warn her about their unexpected presence. "If I were you, I would drop the bow and the arrows right now. Our father and our mother are watching you. I recall mother saying that she didn't want you to practice with swords, bows and arrows."

Belle was greatly surprised when she looked back and saw them, still gazing down at her. Theon followed Belle's brown eyes and he saw them as well, but he shrugged it off as he once again commanded her to carry on with their practice. "Fuck that." Theon said simply. "Let them see how good you are with the bow. If they want to punish someone, they can punish me. I am the one who has been teaching you."

The Stark girl was taken aback by his words. "But I was the one who asked you for these lessons."

" _Fuck_ that." Theon repeated. "Go on. Show them. Make them proud."

And so she did, reluctantly. Belle aimed and fired another arrow, once again hitting the centre of the target. She glanced around and saw her father making his way towards her, his expression was completely unreadable to her and she couldn't even tell if he was angry or simply proud of her skills. Belle handed the bow and the quiver of arrows to Theon and went to greet her father rather nervously. "Father!"

"Belle." Eddard nodded to her, a small smile gracing his lips. "You have become quite skilled the bow."

"Yes, father. I suppose I have."

"But you have been skipping your classes with Septa Mordane."

"That I have, father. I am sorry."

Eddard seemed to ponder about it for a few moments, before his smile disappeared from his aged lips for good. Belle feared for what he was going to say to her. The current Lord of Winterfell didn't even know what to make of his daughter. If he forbid her from practicing archery, she would still find a way to dodge his commands. Perhaps he should allow her to continue with those lessons, as long as she still frequented Septa Mordane's classes of sewing and such. Forcing Belle into a marriage with Torrhen of House Umber was already hurting him enough, and he did not want to take that away from her as well. Her spirit was wild and she hated to be trapped under other people's orders. "You cannot skip your lessons with Septa Mordane." Ned said to her, noticing the pleading look in her brown eyes. "If you promise me that you won't do that anymore, you can continue practicing with Theon."

"What about what mother says?" Belle inquired, noticing that Lady Catelyn was watching them from afar, a stern look in her eyes. "You know I hate sewing, father, but I shall do that, if it means I can continue with the archery classes."

"Your mother saw how good you are with a bow, we both did." Eddard declared, causing her to smile a bit cockily. "But you are a lady, Belle, and Septa Mordane's lessons are crucial to you. Your mother was not very happy to know that you were skipping them but, if you promise to not do that anymore, you can continue with your training. I believe you can do both things, without having to exclude the other."

Belle nodded, not completely satisfied but obviously relieved to know that she didn't need to hide it from them anymore. "Your wishes are my command, father."

A faint smile appeared on her father's lips. "Good. Now, you can carry on."

"I will."

Lord Eddard whirled around and started to make his way back to his wife, while Belle turned the other way and approached Robb, Theon and Jon with a triumphant expression on her pretty face. Her two brothers observed her with concerned eyes, but she waved them off and grabbed the bow and the arrows from Theon's hands. "So?" The Greyjoy boy inquired, waiting for her to say something, anything.

"So?"

"What did Lord Stark say?" Theon asked, starting to grow impatient with all the mystery.

Belle ignored his question and began firing arrows, all of them hitting the centre of the target. Her brothers were absolutely astounded by how good she had become. Another arrow was fired by her, and that one pierced right through the others, some of them even fell on the ground. "So? Do you think I would be doing this if my father had forbidden me? Gods, Theon, sometimes it seems that you only use your smaller head."

"It's not so small."

"I don't care."

Robb and Jon chuckled at her response, but Theon clearly did not enjoy it. "You're just mad because I don't use it while I'm thinking about you."

"No, actually I am glad!" Belle shot back, not even daring to look at him. The Stark girl fired another arrow and smiled proudly. "And besides, I would not want to be a part of those dirty thoughts of yours."

"Nor would I want to think of you." Theon snapped at Belle, causing her to frown in mere confusion.

"Honestly, Theon? That was the best answer you could come up with?"

"Aye, it was, because you do not even deserve better than that."

Belle snorted and rolled her eyes, whirling around to shove the bow and the arrows in the Greyjoy boy's hands with obvious contempt and aggressivity. The brown-eyed beauty nodded to her two brothers and smiled, starting to walk away from them. Before walking away, though, she stopped and glared at Theon. "I don't know how you do it, but you always manage to make me run away from you, have you noticed that?"

"Aye, and there is nothing that pleases me more than that."

"Idiot."

* * *

"I am not sixteen yet, father! I do not understand! You said I would be married only when I turned seventeen!"

"Belle, the Umbers are coming _just_ to visit. There are a few details about the wedding that we must discuss, so you mustn't worry yet."

"And when are they arriving to Winterfell?"

"In two days, I believe." Eddard responded, his grey eyes following after his daughter as she paced across his office rather nervously, her soft hands running through her brown hair just to leave it entirely tousled. She did not want to marry Torrhen Umber, but she did not know why! After all, he was a good lad. She had been asking herself that question for a while now, and she did not have an answer yet. "Torrhen is coming too, as well as the Greatjon's two daughters, Rosyn and Serena. Smalljon is staying behind in their Keep." _Oh, great_! Belle thought sarcastically, rolling her eyes at that. _Not only do I have to put up with those two girls, I also have to put up with Theon bragging about how Serena throws herself at him._ Every time they come around for a visit, Serena cannot keep her hands off of Theon, while Rosyn spends most of her time chasing after Belle's twin brother, Robb. Those things were very hard for her to stand, but Torrhen would usually agree with Belle on such matters. He knew how his sisters could be with boys, and he always knew just how much Serena and Belle loathed each other. Rosyn was different, though. She was nice to Belle, but she shared the same flaw of her sister: she did not know when to stop running after someone. While Theon enjoyed a pretty girl's attention a little too much, Robb wanted nothing to do with the Umber girl. Surely, she was beautiful, but he was not interested in any way.

"Oh, isn't that great?" Belle murmured, throwing her hands up in the air. "Will you force Robb into marrying Rosyn as well? Because you know that the girl adores him. I remember the last time they were here, she was always after him."

Lord Eddard shook his head at his daughter. "I have not found a good match for Robb yet. And it will not be Rosyn Umber."

"Lucky him..." Belle mumbled, opening the door of her father's office to leave. The Stark girl definitely needed to clear her head after that. "I do not want to marry Lord Torrhen of House Umber. I do _not_ know why, father, but I do not want to."

"It is because you do not love him. Yet."

"Perhaps."

"I did not love your mother either." Eddard suddenly said, causing Belle to arch an eyebrow in response. "Only after we were married did I fall in love with her, and I have loved her since then. I did not know Catelyn before that. My brother, your uncle, was meant to marry her, I was not."

"It is different, father." Belle answered, glancing down at her feet. For some very strong reason, she couldn't marry Torrhen. "I will not love him. Of that I am sure."

Why she was saying something like that Ned couldn't understand at all. She was still very young, she had plenty of time to find out what love truly was, and yet there she was, assurance written all over her pretty face. Torrhen Umber was a good lad, he was intelligent, very strong and _very_ handsome, unlike some of the members of his family. From what Ned had gathered and seen in the past, Torrhen treated Belle with respect, and he enjoyed her quite a lot. Belle did too, but apparently not enough. The only plausible reason for Belle not wanting to wed Torrhen, Eddard thought, could be the fact that her heart had already been taken by someone else. That definitely had him thinking about every possibility.

Two days later, like Lord Eddard had said, the banners of House Umber were seen from afar Winterfell, and Belle knew it was time to see her future husband once again. She wasn't nervous, which was quite strange because every lady would be minimally jumpy if they were to meet their future husband. If anything, Belle was restless and wanted it to be over as soon as possible. The fact that she would be a married woman within a year and a few months still confused her greatly. No other place would ever feel like home to her, not like Winterfell. She was already missing home and she wasn't even gone yet.

Belle stood next to Robb, who moved to stand next to Lord Eddard Stark. Lady Catelyn was right by her husband's side, and she kept a tight smile on her face to maintain her emotions hidden so she wouldn't show others how much it displeased her to have her oldest daughter married so soon. Belle wasn't pleased about that either, but she didn't even try to hide it. Theon and Jon stood behind Belle and Robb, while Sansa, Arya and Bran placed themselves by Belle's side. Rickon clutched onto his mother's dress, and Lady Stark ruffled his hair, still trying to smile but failing miserably. Theon wasn't happy about the Umbers arriving to Winterfell, that was noticeable. Well, the fact that Serena was back there brought him some joy, but not enough to put a smile on his lips. Belle was going to marry another man. For some reason, Theon didn't want that to happen. He didn't want her to belong to some other lad.

The gates were opened to allow the entrance of Jon Umber, Torrhen, Serena, Rosyn and the rest of their men. Torrhen was as handsome as ever, what with light brown hair and dark eyes, he was the man every girl would want to wed, and yet, the woman he was supposed to be married to didn't show any desire to be with him. Serena's light brown curls flowed gently down her back as she entered the yard as well, her dark green eyes immediately searching for Theon. As soon as she found him, she smirked. Belle saw the interaction between them and rolled her eyes, tilting her head to the side. "Brace yourself, brother. Rosyn and Serena are back, and they won't be able to keep their hands off of Theon and you."

"Rosyn is not so bad." Robb decided, whispering softly in his twin sister's ear. "Serena's the real problem."

"Tell me about it." Belle growled, narrowing her eyes at the girl.

"Torrhen won't quit looking at you." Robb pointed out.

"I know."

"You know, father made a really good deal with the Greatjon." Robb countered, offering her a reassuring smile. "And Torrhen seems to agree with me."

"But I don't."

"Why not?"

"Because I don't want to marry him."

"But why?"

"You know why, Robb."

"No, I truly don't know why you wouldn't want to marry Torrhen."

"I don't want to leave Winterfell."

"But you will have to, sooner or later."

"But why? I mean, can't I remain unmarried for the rest of my life?"

"Sadly, that's not how it works, dear sister."

"This is our home." Belle murmured, glancing around the front yard with sad, gloomy eyes. "Could you imagine yourself living somewhere else? Because I can't. I can't think about leaving our family, I don't want to leave you, brother."

Robb was about to reply, but he saw the Greatjon and his children approaching the Starks, so he held onto his sister's hand and squeezed it, trying to offer her some kind of comfort and assurance. Lord Stark hugged the Greatjon and both patted each other's backs, their raspy laughs filling everyone else's ears. Then, Jon Umber hugged the twins hard against him and did the same to Arya and Bran. If there was one thing Belle knew for sure, it was the fact that the Greatjon adored her and Robb. Whenever he visited Winterfell, it was always like this. "Gods be good, girl, you've got even prettier than the last time I saw you!" She laughed and hugged him back, a large smile plastered on her pink lips.

The Greatjon moved towards Ned again and both started chatting about his trip to Winterfell, while Torrhen approached Robb, Belle, Theon and Jon. First, he greeted the boys, and then he turned towards Belle. He took her hand and placed a small kiss on her soft skin, causing her to smile a little. Theon rolled his eyes at that. The guardsmen of the Umbers began dispersing across the front yard and talking among themselves, and so did the rest of the people of Winterfell. Arya and Bran quickly ran away, and Belle could almost imagine that they were, in that very moment, making their way towards the courtyard to see who made it first. She laughed at the thought, but swiftly focused her eyes on Torrhen's dark ones.

"My lady." Torrhen's tone was sarcastic and she knew that he was only joking.

She bowed mockingly and smirked. "My lord."

They laughed and hugged each other, causing Theon to whirl around and start walking away from them. Torrhen hadn't changed much in two years, Belle had noticed. He was more handsome now, and perhaps even taller, but he was still the same person. Even though she was not interested in marrying him, Torrhen was a good friend to her, and if they were to be wed, at least they shared a friendly bond, and she wouldn't be marrying an unknown man. Belle and Torrhen started chatting among themselves, mostly about his trip to Winterfell, and their wedding. Both had been very surprised to find out that they were betrothed, but Torrhen didn't show any distaste towards the agreement. Seeing that he was in fact pleased with it, Belle decided to remain quiet. She was not going to escape from this, and she knew it. Belle glanced around the front yard and saw that Theon and Serena were having a quite heated conversation. She felt her cheeks turning bright red from anger. Of course, what else was she supposed to expect from him? He took every opportunity that came along, it was unbelievable, but she was no longer surprised by that. Still, it angered her very deeply, and she hadn't figure out the reason why yet.


End file.
